Newsletter Archives

• New schedule for the release of Win10 version 2004

  Posted on May 1, 2020 at 07:51 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  

  “Win10 May 2020 Update” — better known to us as “Win10 version 2004” — also known as “Win10 20H1” is coming.

  Yesterday Microsoft released what it promises will be the last-last beta test version of the next version of the last version of Windows. Build 19041.208 replaces last week’s Build 19041.207, which was also hailed as the last beta. Brandon LeBlanc has a fully update rollout announcement on the Windows Blog:

  We are continuing to work on getting the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (20H1) ready for release. Today we are releasing Build 19041.208 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring. While we originally thought that Build 19041.207 would be the final build, we made the decision to take in one more fix we felt was important to have before making the May 2020 Update generally available. We believe that Build 19041.208 is the new final build and still plan on continuing to improve the overall experience of the May 2020 Update on customers’ PCs as part of our normal servicing cadence.

  That last little bit means that MS will release cumulative updates for version 2004, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

  Mary Jo Foley has another inside scoop. will roll out this month according to this newly revised schedule:

  Release to hardware manufacturers (the “RTM” date): May 5

  Release to developers (through the MS Developer Network): May 12

  General availability (it’ll appear as “Download and install” in Windows Update): May 28

  Again, Microsoft has not announced this officially and these dates may change yet again.

  Unless you use Linux under Windows, I see almost nothing that’s worth a full upgrade — Cortana gets snubbed, Virtual Desktops get names (I don’t use ’em, do you?), Task Manager shows GPU temperature and type of hard drive (third party apps have done that for a decade), great improvements to Notepad (ho-hum), more in the Settings app (but we’ll still need good ol’ Control Panel sometimes), the Search makeover will actually work this time, and… other minor tweaks.

  If you’re running Win10 version 1903 or 1909, you won’t get pushed to 2004 for a long, long time — you’ll only get 2004 if you click “Download and install.” That’s the good news.

  Windows Patches/Security Win10 2004, Win10 20H1

• 2020’s Windows 10 2004

  Posted on April 27, 2020 at 01:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums
  

  WINDOWS 10

  By Susan Bradley

  Well, it’s that time of year! Microsoft releases a new version of Windows 10 … and we promptly put it off for as long as we can.

  Or at least until we know it’s stable and thoroughly tested. As you might expect, I’m going to recommend that you don’t install this latest feature update when Microsoft first offers it. Instead, I regard a new Win10 release as an occasion to take a brief time-out — a moment to take stock of what versions I’m running at home and at the office, and to decide whether it’s time to upgrade to a newer but thoroughly vetted version.

  A brand-new Win10 is also a reminder that I need to download and save the latest Win10 install/recovery ISO.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.16.0 (2020-04-27).

  Windows 10 Releases AskWoody Plus Newsletter, feature update, System maintenance, Win10 2004, Win10 20H1

• Peering into the Windows tea leaves

  Posted on November 4, 2019 at 01:15 CST by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  WOODY’S WINDOWS WATCH

  By Woody Leonhard

  You can expect some significant changes — existential changes — to Windows in the very near future.

  Based on some official announcements and more than a few highly reliable leaks, it looks like Windows is in for a very bumpy ride.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.40.0 (2019-11-04).

  Windows News AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Win10 1909, Win10 20H1, Windows Core OS

• The next-next version of Windows 10, code named 20H1, known colloquially as 2003, may arrive in December 2019

  Posted on October 29, 2019 at 07:49 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just when you thought the pace of unnecessary changes in Windows was receding….

  Now comes word from Zac Bowden at Windows Central that the version of Win10 following 1909 (widely expected next month) will arrive in December. Of this year.

  Microsoft’s upcoming 20H1 release of Windows 10 will be the company’s first version of the OS to be finalized in December, three months earlier than usual, as a result of Windows moving under Azure and adopting the “semester” based development cycle that Azure is already using. Mary-Jo Foley was first to reveal that the Windows dev cycle was being changed up earlier this year, but here’s what this all means for Insiders.

  You should take that pronouncement with a very large heap of salt, but it sounds plausible. Bowden  frequently has scoops that reflect the current thinking at Microsoft. Notably, though, none of the other major players in the Microsoft Tea Leaf game have independently confirmed the rumor. Mary Jo hasn’t published anything on the topic in the past 24 hours. Paul Thurrot hasn’t commented.

  So either Zac broke something that’s being played very close to the chest – or he got tossed a wild herring. Time will tell.

  There’s very little of interest in 20H1, er, 2003, uh 1912, ahem Vibranium, based on my very brief look-around. Chris Hoffman at How-To Geek has a detailed look at the new features in beta versions of 20H1, all of which put me to sleep.

  Bowden’s next prognostication, though, sends chills down my spine:

  This also means that work on the next Windows 10 feature update after 20H1, known as 20H2 or “Manganese” has already started development internally, and Insiders should begin receiving 20H2 builds in the next couple of weeks. On this new development cycle, 20H2 will RTM in June 2020. This is important, as this release will play a vital role in the availability of Windows 10X on new foldable PCs expected to start shipping in fall 2020.

  So it looks like the tic-toc theory of Windows rollouts — big feature changes followed by little feature changes, as exemplified by the Win10 1903-to-1909 sequence — may turn into a tic-toc-toc. Would that it would segue into a tic-hum-hum-hum instead of burp-burp-burp.

  Change for change’s sake. To get us more aligned with Azure. Oh boy.

  Windows 10 Releases Vibranium, Win10 2003, Win10 20H1

• Windows Insiders watch out: Build 18947 may be worth skipping

  Posted on July 24, 2019 at 06:47 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Warning from Zac Bowden:

  Windows 10 build 18947 is being pushed to Insiders in *ALL RINGS* on 32-bit machines. 18947 is a canary build, and has not been tested internally yet (it was compiled less than a day ago.) Seems an error has caused the rollout.

  — Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) July 24, 2019

  I assume Zac means both the Fast and Slow rings. Release Preview is still locked in to 19H2.

  Looks like it’s also being pushed to 64-bit machines.

  If you’re in the Fast or Slow rings, might want to sit this one out. Pause updates.

  UPDATE: Brad Sams has details on Thurrott.com:

  Users on the Insider rings know the risks of running pre-release updates, an accidental release of a build to all rings is a serious issue for Microsoft, but installing this build comes with even more risk than typical for the program. The company does try to hold back releases that will corrupt machines in the preview program but this release has slipped through without the proper telemetry to know if there are any major issues.

  ANOTHER UPDATE: According to Ed Bott on ZDNet, the bad build has been pulled.

  Uncategorized Win10 2003, Win10 20H1

• Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18875 (20H1) released to FAST & SKIP AHEAD rings

  Posted on April 10, 2019 at 16:46 CDT by joep517 • Comment in the Forums

  See [url=https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2019/04/10/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-18875]Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18875[/url] for features, fixes, and known issues.

  NOTE: This build merges SKIP AHEAD back into FAST. So, both rings will receive the same builds going forward.

  What this means for 19H2 (the release due this fall) is anyone’s guess. All Microsoft has said is that more will be said about 19H2 “in the coming weeks”.

  Windows News Win10 20H1